Kosmos 2176
1992 Russian missile detection satellite
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Kosmos 2176 (Russian: Космос 2176 meaning Cosmos 2176) was a Russian US-K early warning satellite[6] which was launched in 1992 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]
| Mission type | Early warning |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1992-003A |
| SATCAT no. | 21847 |
| Mission duration | 4 years[1] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | US-K[2] |
| Launch mass | 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)[3] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 24 January 1992, 01:18 UTC[1][4] |
| Rocket | Molniya-M/2BL[2] |
| Launch site | Plesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3] |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 17 January 2012[4] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Molniya[2] |
| Perigee altitude | 632 km (393 mi)[5] |
| Apogee altitude | 39,725 km (24,684 mi)[5] |
| Inclination | 62.9 degrees[5] |
| Period | 717.84 min[5] |
Kosmos 2176 was launched from Site 43/3 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.[7] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 01:18 UTC on 24 January 1992.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1992-003A.[3] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 21847.[3]
It re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on January 17, 2012.[4]
